Purged by Blood
by FieryPhoenixGirl119
Summary: Itachi/Young Sasuke - Kohona will burn, the blood of hundreds will stain her streets, and two brothers will be left to make a life for themselves in the unforgiving wilds and civilizations of the world. Hunted by their enemies and shunned by those that are supposed to help, what will the brothers do when it seems that even the gods themselves have turned their backs on them?
1. Chapter 1

[Author's Note: Heya ya'll sorry if I make a few mistakes as far as terms and names go, it's been awhile since I've had anything to do with the Naruto series. Enjoy!]

The sun was setting over the bustling village of Kohona. Shopkeepers were closing their doors and serving their last guests, brothels were taking in regular customers, steam rose above the ramen huts that continued to offer hot meals to weary travelers, and families were sitting down to dinner. The Uchiha family was no exception to this, though tonight there were only two bowls being served as Mikoto and her youngest son Sasuke were the only members of the household that were home. Fugaku was at the police station working overnight and Itachi was off on a mission. It was just one of many meals that consisted of the two minor members of the family. Sasuke sat on his legs at the short dining table. He scratched at an unreachable itch under his new bandage around the joint of his arm. "Sasuke, honey, please don't do that, you will ruin the bandage." Mikoto ladled piping hot soup into a decorated clay bowl at the kitchen counter as if she had eyes in the back of her head to see her son misbehaving. "But okaasan, it itches so baaaad!" He gave a frustrated growl as he slammed his head on his folded arms and pouted rebelliously. The female head of the Uchiha clan set down the soup and a bowl of fresh rice down in front of him before returning to make her own serving. "Well maybe next time you'll be more careful and not go out practicing throwing knives by yourself." She rustled his hair before sitting down at the table herself, mumbling a plea to the spirits for a blessing on her household before beginning to eat. That's when the sound of footsteps approaching the front doorway and both heads turned to see who disturbed their meal.

"Aniki!" Sasuke squealed as he levitated to his feet and ran over to his brother, wrapping his arms around his lower waist while standing on his tip-toes. "Itachi, you're home? Usually your missions take weeks to complete." Mikoto rose too to her feet, out of respect for the ANBU officer. "It was a simple and straightforward mission. I do hope I am not too late to enjoy a meal with my family." He rest his head on the messy hair of his otosan that refused to loosen his grip on the teenager's waist. "Of course you aren't my dear! Here, I'll make you a plate, it is fresh off the fire." The doting mother was about to make a dash to the counter, thrilled at the opportunity to be a mother to her elder baby but was cut off by him. "Rest mother, I will go change into something more comfortable." He bowed and excused himself, walking barefoot towards his bedroom. Sasuke abandoned his meal to follow his beloved elder brother; immediately begging him for details about the mission. They walked around the outer rim of the house together, the evening stars and moon barely visible through the cloudy sky as the sun set on the opposite horizon. "Aniki! Did you kill anyone? Did you see any super strong jutsu? Did you bring me anything?" The raven-haired child was giddy with excitement as he walked by his brother's side, refusing to take his eyes off of him. "Aye Sasuke, you could say that." He slid open the panel that led into his personal quarters, allowing his little brother to enter before he did. "Really aniki? What did you bring me?" he stepped back into the pitch black room, admiring the gleam of light reflecting off his brother's headband before the panel slid closed, leaving them alone in the darkness. "Close your eyes, ototo." He did as his brother asked but instead of being handed something exotic and cool, he found a hand on his mouth and an arm around his neck, suffocating him. He tried to laugh and playfully fight his brother as if it were a game, but he found himself running out of air and his aniki's grip never loosened. He began to cry and begged for Itachi to stop this cruel joke but he had no such luck. Itachi slowly guided Sasuke down to his knees then to lay on the floor, releasing his grip on the boys neck once he was sure that he was knocked out but not injured. "I am so sorry my ototo, please forgive me." He picked up the small, limp body in his left arm and lit a ready lamp on his stand. He opened a large locked chest that sat in the back corner of his bedroom, revealing the bottom to be lined with a well-padded blanket. He laid the little Uchiha down in the bottom of the chest and slid open a small secret panel on the side to allow air into the solid wooden box. Closing the lid and locking it tight, he rearranged his room to its original state and slid his katana out of its sheath. The sound of alarm as invaders hit the protective walls of the Kohona village could be heard in the distance. He had barely managed to beat the invaders to the small, secluded city and now that his most valuable possession was hopefully well hidden, he would perform what would most likely be his last service to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and spill the blood of those that sought to invade the village he vowed to protect. Sliding his white and red ANBU mask over his face he leapt from the outdoor balcony and hopped across the rooftops of the Uchiha Distract, meeting his enemy with a bloodthirsty blade and a bombardment of fiery jutstu.


	2. Chapter 2

[A/N: Glad to get some reviews, remember my rule: The more reviews I get on a chapter, the sooner I'll update the story! Also, check out my profile for goodies!]

Sirens buzzed around the walls of the city as unarmed families barred their doors as police officers and available ninja both young and old leapt from their stations. Weapons drawn and elemental powers firing across the rooftops as men and women caught off-guard jumped to defend their homes. Leading the pack was the ANBU, followed by the ninja and a few stray police officers that weren't busy getting people safely inside their homes. Unfortunately the houses and apartments wouldn't offer any protection to the innocent villagers as the clouds above Kohona turned blood red and opened up, giant orbs of flame rocketed down and demolished the wooden structures big and small. Ninja that could managed tried to fire their own weapons and attacks to demolish the fireballs but they were far outnumbered and unprepared. Itachi was the first to make it to the front wall of the village and felt his heart fall into his stomach as he bore witness to the carnage before him. The forest was aflame beyond repair unless a tsunami could be summoned. Hundreds, no, thousands of sand ninja with weapons and jutsu drawn were advancing to the walls. Behind them were several dozen giant catapults, though with fire raining from the sky, what could they possibly be launching? His question was answered as the sound of rope and wood grinding against each other rumbled through the earth and a large round mass was launched through the air and landed somewhere within the city, wiping out the ninja academy to rubble.

But these warriors and weapons were the least of their worries as barely beyond the catapults stood a group of hooded men, one of which held a chain that led from his hand to the neck and hands of a small, red-haired child. Gaara cried and whimpered as one of the men pulled his cloak over his head to reveal a torn and beaten small body and another pulled out a whip and began to beat him mercilessly. With every lash the small child cried in anguish and the demon within him was drawn out. Finally the monster took over his vessel and the giant raccoon-dog sand-beast materialized several stories high in the air. If the gods existed, Kohona would need their help tonight. Several more of the metal balls were launched over the walls, only one or two managing to be repelled amidst the chaos. Itachi's blade was ready to meet the flesh of a sand-village warrior when a secondary alarm from across the opposite side of the Leaf Village sounded in his ears. A quick look back revealed that they were fully surrounded and enemy ninja were already scaling the walls and penetrating their homecity. The thump of another catapult launching caught his attention and one of the metal balls soared through his vision and landed in none other than the Uchiha district. He slid his hand into his vest and in a fluid motion five blades were drawn and thrown in a deadly fan, catching the throats and abdomen of five sand ninja. He would have to slip away and check in on his relatives, not trusting any of them with the life of his family.

The moment that the opportunity presented itself, the elder Uchiha brother slipped off and dashed across into his home-district. He immediately sensed the presence of toxins in the air. He covered his mouth with the cloak of his uniform and landed on one of many rooftops overlooking the district. He found that metal ball that had landed ontop of his aunties house, tearing through the roof and floorboards. Poisonous gas was being expelled through vents in the sides. So that was their game…keep the warriors busy while employing chemical warfare against the defenseless. The immediate area held the bodies of five dead Uchiha. They had all met the same fate of being suffocated by the thick gas, he could only hope that very little of the toxins would find his ototo. Screaming a hundred yards away alerted him to the presence of the sand-warriors cutting down Uchiha women and children. He witnessed none other than his mother standing bravely infront of a group of screaming, crying, shuddering women and elderly Uchiha with nothing more than a small sword in her hands. He couldn't have stopped her untimely death at the hand of an enemy sand jutsu that encased her in a coffin of sand and crushed her bones and internal organs, even if he tried. Two score of enemy ninja leapt over the walls behind him, this was where he would make his stand. Tearing a portion of his cloak off he wrapped his face to protect from inhaling the poisons and freed his hands for battle. Kohona might burn in hell tonight, but not without taking a majority of her attackers with her. Shukaku roared as the walls of the Leaf Village crumbled down before it and blood ran through her virgin streets.

X.x.x.x.x..x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

The sun rose over a destroyed village. Ash and smoke filled the air as flies and wild birds feasted on the carcasses that lined the ground. The once mighty Hidden Village was now nothing more than ruins and the stench of death that cursed the ground. Itachi found the strength to stand on his weak legs and lean his back against what used to be a ceiling beam of a proud Uchiha temple. He lost count of how many of the enemy that fell before his blade during that battle before everything turned red. He cleaned the dried blood off of his katana on what remained of his cloak before trying to catch his bearings. His family home was mostly unharmed other than the imprints of bodies that were thrown against the structure and the blood that was spilled on and around it.

He stepped down that familiar outdoor balcony, hearing his own heartbeat as he walked towards the panel that led to his bedroom. Knocking the broken structure aside, the sun poured into the room and revealed an undisturbed chest resting at the opposite end. He slowly walked across the room and fell to his knees before the box, running his palms against the decorated top. If there was a corpse inside, then everything he had ever done in the name of Kohona was in vain. But if not…..then what would he do? He dug the key out of a surgically enhanced pocket of skin in his mouth and clicked the lock open. Tossing it aside he took one more deep breath and opened the trunk, feeling both relief and agony at what it held inside.

[A/N: Remember that reviews are my fuel to new chapters ^^ ]


	3. Chapter 3

[A/N: Thanks ya'll for the nice reviews and constructive criticisms, I appreciate each and every one very much! I realized I might have used an incorrect term on my first chapter (otosan instead of ototo) and I apologize if you caught it. Hope ya'll enjoy and remember to visit my profile to find out how to access sneak peeks and early releases!]

Sasuke laid curled up in the chest, gasping for breath as trace amounts of the toxins had reached him through the vents in the lockbox that had taken their toll on his body. He was sweating profusely, shaking, and his eyes were darting around wildly as the gas was playing games with his nervous system. Itachi reached down and picked up his ototo, lifting him out of the wooden prison. He was thankful that the enemy's goal was just to destroy and not to plunder, it was a risk he had to take to keep Sasuke alive. They had nothing left in the world. The attacking army had left once they were satisfied that Kohona would never exist once more, leaving hundreds of their own dead and injured warriors along with countless bodies of the villagers of the Leaf Village.

Atleast he wished they had all left. It seemed a team had been sent out to salvage body parts off of not only their own naturally gifted fighters but also that of the residents of Kohona. Itachi could only imagine what they would accomplish once they reaped the carcasses of all the higher clans, especially the Uchiha. He stealthily slipped out of the ruins that were the house and laid Sasuke down in the grass in the back of the garden. He might have failed to protect the rest of his clan but he could grant them one final act of kindness before he departed from this fallen city. He gathered what chakra he could muster and dashed at a blinding speed around the Uchiha district, setting fire to the rubble and to any carcasses he found.

While the elder Uchiha might have protected the secrets of the Uchiha, he unfortunately grabbed the attention of the salvage team. Grabbing Sasuke up he was forced to run through the charred, ashy mess that used to be the thick, verdant forest surrounding Kohona to escape being seen. Moments later a small group of men trodded through the formally tranquil Uchiha garden and looked out towards the ruined forest, Itachi nothing more than a dot in the distance. One stepped out in front of the rest and growled menacingly. Unlike the others he held no equipment for tearing out and containing body parts and instead of a full hazmat suit he only wore a pair of loose-fitting pants. He had a mask covering the bottom of his face, hiding something bulky near the bottom. "That Uchiha bastard! Momiji go after them! Boss will have our heads if we don't bring him the quantity of Uchiha parts he needs!" One of the cloaked men called out frantically to the man in the mask.

"You finish up here, I'll return shortly." His voice was barely audible and his words were slurred at best. His hands flew into motion to perform a summoning jutsu as a blinding smoke rose from the ground. Emerging on the other side of the thick smoke was Momiji flanked by two horrid shadowy creatures. They looked as if their bodies were a mass of dark gaseous substance but their claws and fangs were very real. They ran on all four limbs and made noises more horrible than anything that could be found in the deepest abyss of the darkest forest. Momiji burst into a fast-paced run followed by his demonic pets, what he lacked in ninja skill he made up for in physical brute strength and endurance. These pitiful targets wouldn't escape him, no one ever had. And when he found them, he would personally inflict more pain and agony on them before granting them death at his blade.

X.x.x.x.x..x.x.x.X

Itachi kneeled by a quiet stream, Sasuke in one arm as he cupped water in his free hand trying to encourage his ototo to drink. His little brother's eyes had finally stopped twitching rapidly but he continued to sweat and groan pathetically. When Itachi couldn't convince Sasuke to drink he wet the boy's raven-colored hair with the remaining handful of water, hoping to help him stay cool. He needed to get to the nearest village or settlement and not only hope that they took them in but that they had ways of helping his ototo break his fever. Deep down he hoped that somehow their neighboring allies had heard about that attack on Kohona and were sending help that he would meet on the way there, but the chances of that were slim. He had to face the grim reality that it was a long run to anywhere that could help, and he would have to keep Sasuke alive until then.

He stood up and continued his slow-paced run, feeling weak and exhausted. But he had to keep going, he had to push himself to find someone to help. After what seemed like a fortnight of travel as the sun began to set on the land he finally saw telltale signs of civilization as a small trade town sleepily closed down shop for the night. All of the merchants and villagers stared at them as he walked through the dirty streets, murmuring and gossiping quietly. "A medic…please is anyone here a medic?" It wasn't the usually perfectly put together sentence he was accustomed to speaking in but he was tired and desperate. The people only continued to stare and mumble until someone finally stepped forward.

"Begone villagers of the Leaf, we don't want any trouble." He was the tradepost leader of sorts, but the others agreed with him in unison. So word about the attack had made it all the way out here…but why were they turning them away? "What trouble? My brother is innocent and is dying, he needs medical attention." Itachi was tired and becoming angry. "If we help you they might take their fury out upon us. We don't want any trouble, please just leave us be!" The man actually had fear in his eyes. Itachi was too weak to fight the village and besides, there was no guarantee there was a medic there anyway. He looked down at his little brother struggling to breath and bathed in sweat. "I'm sorry Sasuke" he turned around and walked out of the center of the small tradepost town, the people staring at them in silence until they were out of sight.

Momiji stood on top of the center building of the tradepost as he watched the weakened Uchiha walk defeated back into the forest. Intimidating the head of the tradepost had worked perfectly, now he only had to wait until the Uchiha was deep enough in the forest that no one would hear a struggle. The bonus was that he had a child with him…his superiors only knew of the one Uchiha, this child he could take and do with as he pleased and no one would be none the wiser. Considering his bloodline he could keep him as another fighting tool or sell him off to the highest bidder. Grinning to himself he left the rooftop to stalk his prey, already imagining just how he would torture the elder Uchiha, just for the fun of it.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi continued to carry Sasuke, who was only getting worse, on through the forest. He wasn't entirely sure where they were headed but judging by the change in the air and land he would have to guess that they were advancing upon the border of the land of water. It had been two days since the incident at the tradepost and he had been barely keeping Sasuke alive with what little water he could make him consume along with small bits of rabbit and bird meat. He didn't know how much longer Sasuke could survive or whether or not the effect of the toxins would wear off in time, he was surprised that he had survived for that long. He continued to walk at a steady pace through the thick forest, the scenery unchanging for hours on end.

Finally he reached the top of a hill that overlooked a valley shrouded in mist. This was water country. Looking down there was a flicker of light, it was tall as if it were a standalone house or business, but why would it be all the way out here away from any villages or towns? He didn't bother to question it further and began to make his way down, his arms sore from carrying the child whose life hung in the balance. The gods must have been smiling upon the pair as the trip downhill was not only quick but was easier on the sore and tired feet of the former ANBU officer. He raised his tired head once he reached the front of the building. It was a business. It had warmth, food, music, and the sounds of many people inside. It was a brothel.

[A/N: Thanks for reading ya'll remember reviews are my fuel to new chapters ^^ ]


	4. Chapter 4

[A/N: Enjoy ya'll!]

Itachi stepped into the brothel to find an open bar-room filled with rugged men, barely dressed women, and a great abundance of beer. The smell of cheap food, sex, and grime hit his nostrils as he looked around for anyone that seemed to be in charge around here. He was nearly immediately met by two strong-armed men who were some sort of half-dressed security at this particular establishment. "No brats, we're not into that here" one of them growled as he motioned towards Sasuke's limp form. "I am not here as a customer, I need help, is there a medic here?" Itachi said without as much as breaking his voice. He knew that if these people didn't help then he would be spending the night digging a grave for his little brother.

The two men looked to each other , to the raven-haired child, then back to each other before one nudged his head in the direction of the back before folding his arms and standing before Itachi. "We'll see what our boss says" he grunted as the other made his way through the packed front room dodging tables and pushing passed-out drunks out of his way. "You're lucky we didn't throw you out on your ass punk, the boss usually hates outsiders. " He grinned as if his words meant anything to the elder Uchiha. "Your boss is a lucky man to have such a successful business this far out in the forest." He tried to get on the guard's good side. Sucking up wasn't his way but he'd do anything for Sasuke right now. The second guard motioned from the back for him to come have an audience with the leader of this brothel. Itachi took in a deep breath and began walking through the room, ignoring the bare chests of the women and the drunken slurs of some of the patrons. He had been in brothels before with his comrades whether for undercover missions or to let off steam from the job; hell even the police officers enjoyed an evening of adult entertainment every so often, unbeknownst to their wives of course.

He was ready to meet a short, fat, grimy, money-hungry man with neither a backbone or a general sense of humanity as most brothel-mongers were. He would simply have to beg the man for medical care for his ototo and as far as payment went, he would undoubtedly be forced to trade his equipment or his assassin skills. He stepped into the barely lit hallway which led to a series of hallways filled with the bedrooms the girls worked in. At the end of the hall the corner turned down to another hall that was filled with identical rooms. Halfway down this hallway they opened the door into one of the rooms. He was ushered into the room by the guard who closed the door behind them and lit a torch. The room was bare other than a few bottles of alcohol and a thick mat on the floor for the services the girls provided. "I don't understand, where is your boss?" Without even stopping to answer the guard pulled away the mat to reveal a hidden door. Behind this was a staircase leading downwards into a hidden basement filled with exotic decorations, stone walls, and pillars.

"Mistress, here is your guest" The guard left and resealed the room, leaving the brothers alone in the dim room. There were men and women of obvious grand rank lounging on plush beds and pillows on the floor with scantily-clad attendants surrounding them. At the far end of the room was a throne of sorts made out of pillows and plush furs. A large, gold-plated hookah sat to the left as the hose crept up into the pillows leading up to a stunning figure. "Come hither young boy" she spoke between serrated teeth after removing the hookah pipe. Itachi did as he was asked, he didn't know what kind of brothel this was but it definitely wasn't what he was expecting. The mistress stood to her feet and approached him, she stood two feet taller than him at full height, her body very feminine but very muscular. She stood right in front of him, close enough for him to smell the stench of the ocean on her. "I am Lady Shimizu, and I own this house of pleasure and all that dwell within it. Who might you be?" She rest her hand on her hip, the other's fingers twitching in a rhythmic manner. "Itachi. This is my younger brother Sasuke, he is very ill and needs-" "He needs his blood cleansed. I can smell the stench of poison on him before you entered my sanctum." She interrupted as she waved her free hand over his body. His tiny chest rose up towards her hand, the moment it touched her scaled hand his mouth opened and he gasped a lungful of air, eyes wide open.

Itachi took a step back in shock before regaining his composure. "Will you do this for us then? Will you heal him?" The shark-lady kept her eyes on Sasuke in silence for a moment before her milky white pupils rose up to Itachi. "I can, though it isn't as simple as casting a spell and poof he's cured, it's a process that can take hours, days even. Besides, rule number one is if you're good at something, never do it for free." She grinned at her own wise words, showing off her double row of teeth. "I will do anything to ensure that my brother lives, Lady Shimizu." He dropped his head out of feigned respect, desperate and weak from the journey. A cold, clammy scaled knuckle touched the bottom of his chin to make him look up at her intimidating figure. She looked at him before taking a deep breath in through her nostrils, her eyes rolling back as if in deep pleasure. "Your blood, I have met many men during my misadventures, and only one blood smells so strong. An Uchiha youth, a true treasure I assure you. I will heal your sibling, but in exchange, I do expect a certain form of 'payment' from you, do we have a deal?" Itachi felt his gut drop. But Sasuke would die if he didn't agree to her outrageous terms. "We do, Lady Shimizu, but Sasuke is tended to first." "But of course. Akai! Show the big one to the bathing room, I prefer my men to be dirty and sweaty _after_ I'm done with them. Take the little one somewhere comfortable, I'll be with him shortly." A nearly nude timid girl stepped from the side and offered to take Sasuke from Itachi's sore and tired arms and led them to a series of rooms that like this hidden throne-room, were underground.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Lady Shimizu rest one hand on the child's forehead and the other on his belly. "Will he be okay my Lady?" Akai murmured quietly as she placed a set of clean towels on the table beside the sick Uchiha, dipping a washcloth in a nearby basin of cold water to wipe him off with. "I don't know Akai, but I will try." A steady stream of chakra flowed through her hands into his body to try and cleanse him of the poison. Finally she removed her hands from his body once she was finished for the session. "There isn't much I can do but hope that this helps. I do hope that the Uchiha blood in his veins is as strong as legend proclaims. He made it this far, the rest is in the hands of the goddess." She took one of the wet towels and cleaned her own hands off with it, Akai still doting over the sick raven-haired boy. "Lady Shimizu, you have guests, the ones in the cloaks" another barely-dressed girl shyly announced from the doorway, shivering in the cold of the underground sanctuary.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Momiji sat perched in a tree just outside of the clearing that held the brothel safe and sound in the middle of the god-forsaken forest. The only reason he hadn't caught the Uchiha brats and torn them to pieces was due to his superiors demanding that he return to update them on the status of his hunt. He swore that the moment he was paid he would slit all of their throats and be rid of those fools. His pets flanked him on each side, drooling and gnarling in anticipation of the kill. It was just a house of wh-res that wouldn't be missed if he slaughtered each and every one of them to get to his prey. His blood rushed in excitement as he foresaw their tainted blood on his thirsty blades. Sliding a short-sword from its sheath on his side he readied to order his minions to attack when there was a disturbance on the other side of the clearing.

A pair of cloaked figures emerged from the thick mist and made their way to the quaint two-story house. They silently entered through the front curtains, obviously welcome as they met no petty guards. One wore an oversized sword as the other's only distinguishable feature was the pale white skin of his hands that were barely visible through the thick cloak of the mist. Momiji growled in anger as he slid his weapon back into its sheath and hesitantly retreated back into the forest to avoid being spotted. He recognized the red cloud pattern on the black cloaks that they wore and had no interest in tangling with the Akatsuki. He didn't know how long it would take but he would have to wait for his time to strike after they left.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

The two criminals were ready seated at their own table and offered drinks by a busty brunette who only wore a crimson robe from the waist down. She set down their complimentary sake before dashing off to fulfill their order, knowing very well the threat they posed. They might have been regulars but they were given due respect. Both men's eyes wandered after her to stare at her from behind. "Don't know how Shimizu manages to get fresh meat in here so often, gotta hand it to her that she's quite the businesswoman" Kisame commented as he took a sip of the ripe rice wine, Orochimaru barely nodding in response. Moments later Lady Shimizu emerged herself dressed in an elegant black kimono that cut off at the hips and spared not her lady parts. She took the tray of drinks from the serving girl and brought them to the Akatsuki members.

"Ah my favorite guests, how are my men doing? Something exciting I'm sure." She bent over to pour them ale from a tall pitcher, showing off the tattoos of thorny vines on the backs of her upper legs to the rest of the men in the bar. "Nothing nearly exciting as what happens here I'm sure" Kisame took the drink she offered and finished it in a single gulp. "But we both know that we're not here for idle chatter or the services of your little friends Shimizu. We'll be on our way soon enough after we collect our payment and maybe have a couple of drinks of your infamous brinewater" the sharkman continued as he put his empty flagon forward for her to refill it. Orochimaru remained silent as he dipped his lengthened tongue into the container and rolled his eyes at his partner beneath the protection of his bamboo hat.

"That's too bad, you know my girls are more than eager to find out what's under those robes long after you leave every moon, and as for your payment" She reached into her kimono top and pulled out a fat wad of bills, each and every one of them earned with blood, sweat, and booze from her brothel. She set it down on the center of the table and put the remainder of the pitcher of ale beside it. "I have some work to do in the back but I'll see to it that you are fed and given those drinks, on the house of course." She began to walk away with the tray under her arm, motioning to the bartender and an idle server to tend to them as was the monthly routine. "Lady Shimizu, the offer to leave this life of underhanded 'business' and join the ranks of our organization still stands." The blue-haired devil said calmly as he wiped a line of condensation off of his glass with his purple-nailed thumb. Lady Shimizu stood still for a moment before continuing on her way. "I enjoy my line of work too much boys, but do send Pein my regards." She disappeared into the back, the front and back of the establishment continuing business as usual.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi winced as he flexed his fingers while standing in the steaming hot bath pools. He had overexerted himself during the battle with the sand warriors and his chakra points were suffering because of it. Taking in a breath of air he plunged himself beneath the surface, days worth of grime releasing from his hair and torso. He ran his hands through his hair as he closed his eyes, alone in the silence with his thoughts for once. What mess had he gotten himself into? Had he honestly stooped down to this level? For god's sake he was in a brothel bathhouse, Sasuke's location was unknown, his entire family along with everyone else he had sworn to protect were in the abyss and Kohona was nothing but a pile of rubble. The outlook was grim, but once Sasuke was back in good health he would leave this den of sin and somehow find a sanctuary of refuge where they could hopefully rebuild their lives. The police station and the ANBU were gone but perhaps another country would recruit him into their own networks, as sweet irony would have it. He would do it though, for Sasuke's sake. He broke through the surface of the water and took a deep gasp of breath, finding his clothing missing and replaced with a pile of towels.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

[A/N: Wow long chapter, and still feel like going so hopefully I can keep this constant update pace up, though I'd like to keep the chapters longer like this one. Nothing I hate more than waiting eagerly for a story update only to be given an entrée when I'm hungry for a 5-course meal hehe, oh and don't forget to fuel me with reviews!]


	5. Chapter 5

Lady Shimizu checked on Sasuke once more, giving him a light dose of healing chakra before ordering Akai to remove his dirty clothing and to clean him up. She turned to a small nearby desk that held a bowl of salt, an inkwell, a dainty brush, and blank slits of blessed paper from the nearest shrine. She murmured a plea to the goddess as she expertly painted blessings on the papers and surrounded Sasuke's body with them before taking the brush to his porcelain skin and scribing a purification rite onto it as well. She cleaned off the brush and put the lid on the inkwell before cleaning off her hands and taking a small handful of pure salt from the bowl and tossed it upon his body. "Take him to the garden and put him under my cherry tree, hang the blessings on the branches above him and pray that the goddess hears our pleas. We'll know whether or not she's listening in the morning." Lady Shimizu ordered as she left the room, heading to her own personal sanctum and asking her attendants to bring her a tray of strong drink and the elder Uchiha brother to pay his debt.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi was brought into the personal quarters of the brothel's owner. The girl who guided him walked him into the room and immediately left, closing the solid door behind her. "You clean up pretty well Uchiha." The shark-woman stood in front of a desk in the room where she poured cold drinks for the both of them, taking a moment to glance over her shoulder. There was a moment of awkward silence before Shimizu broke it, picking up both glass and bringing them to the young man. "This will help you forget your troubles little boy." Itachi usually didn't drink but considering his recent past and near future, he wouldn't refuse the offer. They both took their drinks simultaneously, Itachi slightly gagging as it burned all the way down into his abdomen. "You're probably wondering what kind of freakshow you've stumbled into eh? Don't tell me you've never been in a wh-rehouse before." She took another drink as he looked down at his. "I have, but I'm usually at the other end of the transaction." He took a drink as Lady Shimizu laughed, her teeth bared and slivers of the alcohol escaping through the gills in the sides of her cheeks.

"Well there's a first time for everything, that's rule number two" She wiped her face off on her sleeve and finished off the remainder of her drink. "So what brings a trained medic out into the middle of nowhere to open a brothel?" Itachi asked as he took another sip, forcing it down. "Well contrary to popular belief, not only are my race good in the sack, we also are capable of feeling basic human emotions, sympathy, guilt, pain, horror and the like." She set her empty glass to the side and sat down on her thick and plush bedding, motioning the young adult to accompany her. "I was ordered to stand by and watch children be killed by their peers and to do nothing to save their lives or their souls. I went awol and left behind my friends, my family, my reputable position of head medic of Kirigakure and ran for it. To avoid being tracked down I changed my identity and line of work but still needed to survive. It wasn't a very dignified career change but it got me where I am today, and what can I say? I enjoy it." Itachi rest his hands on his knees, half-empty glass in both hands as he looked forward across the room, his chest beating rapidly in nervous anticipation at what was to come.

"Don't think about it too much Itachi of the prestigious Uchiha clan, it's just business." She removed her black kimono top and laid back, staring up at the ceiling and smiling to herself "and consider yourself forewarned, I do bite."

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Akai sat on her knees beside the young child that laid on a grassy patch in the garden behind the brothel. A full moon shone in the clear sky that was mostly shrouded by this heavy layer of mist. A brisk gust of wind prompted the paper strips flutter and purification bells to jingle above them. She pulled out a white cloth from her simple pink kimono and wiped a few beads of sweat off of the child's forehead. His fever broke but his breathing was still ragged, and removing his clothing revealed that his veins were tinted several shades darker than what was natural and were clearly visible through his thin porcelain skin. "Damn the monsters that wish harm upon a child" she muttered nearly in tears as she tended to him, intending to remain by his side until he either regained his health or was sent into the arms of the goddess.

A rustling in the bushes across from the clearing brought her to full alert. With lightning-quick speed she pulled out a hidden dagger strapped to her leg and was on her feet in a flash. "Come out of the darkness at once! Or are you a coward?! Show yourself!" She growled but the defensive look fell from her face when two sets of glowing yellow eyes emerged from the shadows. What in the abyss were they? There were no dog or beast she knew of, but whatever they were they were not welcome here. The twin monsters licked their chops, drool dripping profusely from their knife-sharp fangs, sizzling when it hit the ground like an ungodly acid. Out of sight behind them still perched in the forest was none other than Momiji crouched over as he watched his pets approach their next meal. "Yes my darlings" he muttered in his own mind "feast upon a wh-res flesh and bring to me to Uchiha child." The demons disregarded her useless weapon, hungry eyes looking her up and down. "Get away! Begone! I'm warning you both!" she stuttered as she waved the weapon back and forth between the two. They crouched back on their hind legs ready to pounce when the sound of a paper door sliding open made them stop and dissipate into thin air like smoke from a candle.

"W-hat? Where did you mongrels go!? Show yourselves!" She demanded nervously, holding the blade in both hands outwards towards the darkness. Normally the presence of a second brothel girl would have just increased the pleasure of their meal but something else had come out and warded them off. Kisame's intense chakra signature filled the area like a pungent male dog going through a dry spell and while invisible to most beings, Momiji could both sense and oftentimes see chakra. He retreated once more, filled with hatred towards the cloaked criminals for ruining his fun. "Seeing ghosts Miss Akai?" the tall shark-man asked as he walked up beside her and put a hand on her shaking white knuckles as they continued to hold the dagger in a vice-grip. "T-they were just there! Two of them! T-they were dogs but they weren't dogs! Don't you believe me?!" She cried hysterically dropping the weapon to the ground. "I think you've been spending too much time out here burning a bit too strong of incense Miss Akai." He spoke calmly as he looked out into the clearing seeing no signs of any creature through the mist.

"So what do we have here? One of your kids get sick?" He nudged Sasuke's arm with his red sandal, looking at him with slight disregard over the V-shaped gap in the collar of his cloak. "N-n-no no he's some kid that was poisoned. H-his brother brought him here, I overheard that he was an Uchiha, but what would they be doing all the way out in these parts? M-makes no sense." She knelt down and picked up the dagger, resealing it back away into the strap on her leg. "Uchiha eh? Word has it Kohona is no more." "What? Really?" She asked as she stood back up, unable to see the blue-skinned man through his tall collar. "Wiped off the map, if these two are Uchiha then they damn well are probably the last of their race." He observed looking around the garden, taking in its scenic beauty. "By the goddess, that's horrible. Poor things." She looked down upon Sasuke in pity as his breathing seemed to have calmed down a bit.

Returning back into her professional manner she looked up at the man beside her. "What brings you out to the garden Mr. Hoshigaki?" She folded her hands infront of her awaiting orders. "We've decided to spend the night and get a start early in the morning, I was hoping you'd join me but seeing as you have a little ghost problem-" He proceeded to sit down beside the building and lean against the wall. "I will spend it with you instead." She managed a small smile, the Sharkman always requested her personally when they rarely spent the night and always tipped well the next morning before they departed. "I shall get us some drinks to keep us warm then, please keep an eye on the child in my absence." She bowed her body forward and headed indoors leaving the brutal killer alone with the ailing child and the fluttering prayer strips tossing in the breeze.


	6. Chapter 6

[A/N: The first couple of parts might look familiar to ya'll that went to my profile page and took advantage of the sneak peek, grats to ya'll! Be looking to my profile page for more sneek peeks as I transition into blackmailing ya'll into using tumblr (buahah!) ^^ ]

Enjoy!

The elder Uchiha groaned in pain as he continued to lay on the soft bedding, Shimizu slipping her black kimono top back on standing at full height. The woman was insatiable and his entire body was sore from attempting to meet her demands throughout the night. "The living quarters are upstairs if you can find your way around the place, I'm sure someone there will feed you when you get there." The sharkwoman left the room to check on her patient that lay in the garden.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Shimizu stepped into her outdoor temple of sorts, rolling her eyes at the image of Akai sleeping soundly leaned up against the wall. She gently pushed the brothel girl over with her foot before heading over to check on the small Uchiha. Akai groaned and leaned back up, raising her hand to her mouth as she began to yawn but stopped midway through to find a dainty folded up bill resting in her palm. Looking around for the elusive Hoshigaki she slid the money away into the folds of her kimono before standing to follow the Lady Shimizu. "How is he doing my Lady?" Shimizu was knelt over him, one hand on his torso pulsating healing chakra into his tiny chest cavity, the other prying his eyelids open with her thumb.

"If my suspicions are correct, this toxin killed a large portion of his blood and it's just sitting there clogging everything up, he won't start healing properly until it's excreted from his body. I'll need your assistance Akai." The sharklady picked up the child and took him indoors back into the makeshift operating room.

X.x.x.x.x..x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi eventually made his way out of the secret room and back above ground, walking quietly through the halls filled with the snoring of hungover men that had had their fill of unbridled sex the night before. The rumbling in his stomach reminded him of how he had not eaten since before the mission that took him away from Kohona for the last time other than leftovers that he couldn't convince his ailing ototo to consume. My gods how their lives had been turned upside down. In less than a week he went from being a leading ANBU assassin, police officer, and the heir to the Uchiha clan to an unwanted vagrant that just sold his body to an over-empowered shark-woman in exchange for the small possibility that his little brother could live. All this was for what? What would they do if Sasuke survived? Where would they go? Itachi rest one hand on his gurgling stomach and another on his aching head, cursing quietly to himself. That's when a small figure caught the corner of his eye.

His instincts kicked in and the sharinghan was activated, his fingers groping for shuriken that weren't there. He looked back in the direction of the movement and felt foolish for overreacting. A small child, judging by the flower in her hair, a girl, was spying on him from behind the doorway, one side of her face shyly peaking out to gaze at him in awe. She couldn't have been any older than Sasuke, though what on earth was she doing here? Surely the brothel didn't use children in their business! Though it would explain the secluded location…

"Mister, is there something wrong with your eyes?" she politely asked, still staring in awe. Deactivating his bloodline talent and closing his eyes he answered "No there isn't, my apologies if they frightened you." He opened his eyes to see her slowly pulling herself out farther into the doorway, wanting so badly to investigate this kind stranger. Suddenly a loud and obnoxious noise echoed into the hallway from one of the rooms the girls worked in. "SSTUPID B-TCH, GET SHOFF YOUR LAZUR ARSS AN' GERT ME MORE DRINKSS –belch- YOU'RE N-NOT WORTH HALF YOUR FEE IN SSH-T." A timid brothel girl ran from the room, ducking for cover as an empty bottle hit the wall across from the door, inches from her head. Without missing a beat she ran to go do as he asked, holding up her torn clothing.

The noise woke up the other groggy customers and within seconds the hallway was filled with stupid, drunken men hurling insults at both each other and at the girls they employed for the evening. Itachi looked back to the doorway to see the little girl holding her hand out to him. He decided she knew her way around this place much better than he did and let her lead him through a maze of hallways and finally to a staircase. She tried to lead him up it but he refused to move. "Where are you taking me?" he asked as she tried to tug him up the staircase, fearing the worst. "It's safe from the bad men up here mister, you're not a bad man are you?" She looked at him with big green eyes as if her heart would break if he answered incorrectly. "No, but I need to find someone who is somewhere in this building first, are there any little boys around your size here?" She shook her head and continued trying to tug his fingers up the staircase from the third step where she stood.

"I'm sorry little one but I can't go to a safe place until I find him, now he's very sick, do you know where you go if you're sick around here?" He was an elite police officer and special forces agent, trained by the masters in interrogation and problem solving. Here he was reduced to talking gibberish to a six-year old about the cartography of a brothel. She looked as if she were debating it in her head whether or not to trust this new face but finally her childlike innocence prevailed and she took his hand once more and led him to a cast-iron gate that led out to a serene garden. She held her finger to her lips to motion for him to be quiet as she led him across the stone walkway that bordered the open-ended courtyard. She came to a stop in front of an open doorway and pointed inside. He peered within to see Lady Shimizu, the girl she called Akai, and Sasuke who was laying on his back on a table set in the center of the room. Itachi looked to his side to see that the little girl was already gone without a trace. "Uchiha" the all-too familiar voice beckoned him from within the operating room. "If you're going to snoop around my home then you'd might as well make yourself somewhat useful, if you have a strong stomach that is."

Lady Shimizu hadn't even taken her eyes off of her work as she continued to work on little Sasuke. When Itachi stepped closer he realized that his little brother's body was spread out with slits cut into his wrists, throat, and feet. Shimizu was running her hands down his limbs towards the intentional wounds, gobs of thick black gunk emerged from the slits as she did so with Akai wiping them up as soon as she could. Judging by the pile of soiled cloths that lay in a bin beside the table, they had removed a large amount of the tainted blood and mostly likely had a far way to go. "Akai, be sure and have a talk with your daughter about interacting with strangers around here, I don't want to have to kill one of my guests because they were too drunk and she was too nice, understood?" The shark-lady said in an indifferent tone as her hands squeezed down Sasuke's left arm, the jelly that emerged finally showing signs of having a small bit of healthy blood mixed in with it.

"Uchiha if you would be so kind as to take over Akai's duties that she can begin preparing wrappings and herbs to ward off infection." Her hands moved to his chest and gave off a pulse of chakra right into his small body, making it jerk in reaction to the shock and black ooze trinkled from all five openings. Itachi immediately jumped into position mimicking Akai's actions as best he could while the brothel girl hopped to a separate table that held many medical supplies ranging from linen bandages to dry and fresh herbs. "Normally I would heal the cuts with my abilities but I want the remaining bile to drain out." She continued until all of the pores were dripping with healthy red blood. On cue Akai stepped in and began to wrap the wounds and prepared to dispose of the discarded soiled linens. "So is this a sign that he's going to recover?" the elder Uchiha inquired as he wiped his little brother's blood off of his fingers with a moist towel supplied by the ever-doteful Akai.

"With the toxin running it's course the body should naturally begin building an immunity to it and with the bulk of the bad blood removed he stands the best chance he would have had next to having the antidote." Lady Shimizu held her still-bloody clenched fist up near her face and took in a deep breath of the scent, closing her eyes. Returning to reality she took the offered moist towel from Akai and cleaned off the blood. "Akai take him to a spare upper-level room to rest, Uchiha neither of us are any good to your sibling if we're neglecting our natural needs-" The worst-possible image in lieu of the previous night's activities came to his mind and he immediately began to mentally groan as his muscles reminded him of how sore he was. "-follow me, I'll take you to have breakfast myself, seeing as you can't navigate your own way around here without getting little children in trouble."

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

[A/N: Sneak peek of #7 will be posted in a bit, might get a snack or take a shower before I type it out. Anyway remember that reviews are my fuel to new chapters so take approx. 22 seconds to help move the story along and inflate my ego with the gratification I hunger for =) ]


	7. Chapter 7

Itachi poked through the serving of rice, seaweed, tomatoes, and eggs with a pair of simple chopsticks. This reminded him of being at home, although the opportunity to having a home-cooked breakfast was one he didn't take advantage of often enough when he had a chance. Lady Shimizu sat next to him at the barstool within the upper level, drinking from a decorative stein and biting into a piece of cured fish steak for her breakfast. "You not a fan of Saruwatari's cooking or is your stomach not as strong as you are?" the sharklady asked before taking another swig of what could only be cheap booze from the stein. "My appetite seems to have abandoned me" he commented as he stared into the bowl, a grossly overweight woman setting down a glass of what he hoped was spiked juice beside him.

He had always looked down upon brothels and bars for the amount of liquor they pushed down the throats of the patrons but now he could see the secondary benefits of having an excess of the product around. The anguish that the women that lived here had to endure just to survive, it was no wonder most of them spent every waking moment intoxicated to some degree. He had lost everything and his little brother was barely alive. Lady Shimizu lost her dignity, prestigious rank, and a place in her home for her moral convictions to become a prostitute and now ran a business of supplying a safe place for others who can't survive otherwise. The two drank in silence, the alcohol taking the edge off of the weight on each of their shoulders, their minds in two completely different worlds.

"Where do you plan on going when your brother is well again Uchiha?" She asked as she stared at her favorite stein, her thumb brushing up against the gold plated koi fish imprinted on the side. "I do not know. It seems that those that could offer us sanctuary fear retribution by the sand village. I could survive in the wilds but I cannot speak for my brother." He continued to pick through his dish, his mind too full for him to be able to eat. "Perhaps leaving him at a temple might suffice, though if you were willing to go through my bedchambers for him I doubt you are the type to let him be without you." She finished off the slice of fish, tiny bones and all. Years of predicting and reading customers had taught her much about the human mind and how different personalities functioned. "Whatever you decide to do Uchiha, I wish you the best of luck. You'll find your brother in one of these rooms on the second level, I'll send for you when I'm ready for your services tonight." She arose from her seat and finished off the last of her drink, slamming it down on the wooden counter and leaving to go tend to her business of flesh.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi used his sharinghan to track down Sasuke's location. Already his flesh had turned back into a pale color, much better than the tinted gray that it was before. The veins were clearly less visible and his breathing had returned to normal. For once things had finally looked up. He touched his little brother's arm, seeing his eyes twitch as he did so. "Sasuke? Can you hear me?" the small raven-haired boy squirmed a little but couldn't properly respond. Feeling emotionally and physically drained he didn't care about his lost high rank or former position. This was his little brother, this was something he hadn't lost – yet. He slid two hands under the little boy and lifted him up, taking his place on the bed and laying him across his lap. He sat in silence and held the small child, the weight of the world finally lifting off his shoulders as he had one thing to live for despite all that he had lost in a matter of hours.

That moment was when the ground began to shake and the screams of horrified women filled the air. Itachi reactivated his sharinghan, something powerful had revealed itself near the brothel, and whatever it was, it was on the attack. He held Sasuke against his chest as he ran through the halls, needing to find a safe place for Sasuke before he protected the dwelling. When he made his way down the staircase he was met by none other than Lady Shimizu guiding her employees towards the underground bunkers. "Uchiha! Take your brother and run!" She was clearly disturbed by something, but kept a strong face for the sake of the women that looked up to her. "Lady Shimizu! I can't find Aya anywhere!" Akai frantically cried, grabbing Shimizu's blueish-gray hands. "I will find her, you help the others. Uchiha take this and go or I will kill the both of you myself!" She put her personal shortsword in his hand and pushed him towards the courtyard where they could escape to the forest. No sooner had she shoved him down the hallway did the front wall of the brothel explode into millions of shards as it was hit by small explosives.

Normally he would be hard-headed and stubborn about staying to defend against the intruder but now that Sasuke was in danger he heeded her orders and made a dash for the forest. He ran through the outdoor sanctuary, knocking over a couple of small, sacred stone statues and blowing a few leaves off of the twisted cherry tree.

Lady Shimizu formed a defensive stance, eyes narrowing upon the three figures that became visible through the dust. One man and two hellhounds, she wasn't in proper fighting gear but her cut off kimono would have to do. She formed handsigns from which arcs of light spewed from her hands. She slammed her fists down into the ground, the energy ripping through the earth in a jagged line towards the attackers. The easily dodged but the simple distraction was her goal as she jumped to the roof then down into her garden. Her pupils tightened and the burn of chakra on her fingertips sent her into a bloodlust. She approached her cherry tree and reached in to seize a hidden brown handle that protruded from the crotch of the tree where the trunk ended and the main branches began. She sent a pulse of chakra through the handle and the wood of the tree was split beyond repair. The tree fell to the ground as she held what had been hidden within the sacred plant, a broadsword with the skull off a three-eyed creature at the handle and sacred scriptures imprinted into the metal. The sword glowed as her chakra streamed into it, she hadn't wielded her weapon in so long but it felt like just yesterday that she fought with her old friend.

Momiji landed on the roof of the brothel, sending tiles flying as his hellbeasts joined him on each side. The Uchiha could wait, this prey would be a worthy catch!

{A/N: Review please!}


	8. Chapter 8

Enjoy!

Lady Shimizu rubbed her thumb against the handle of her blade, an eerie grin revealing her rows of teeth as the familiar sensation buzzed through her body. She brought her hand to her lips and bit down on her pale blue skin, drawing out the red fluid. The sweet scent of freshly spilled blood sent a rush of adrenaline to every nerve in her being, sending her into a blood frenzy. Dabbing her finger on the wound she began to write on the blade, the jutsu taking effect as the mist that encompassed the land began to thicken to the point of being suffocating. "Hope those little Uchiha legs can carry you far, children of the sharinghan, you'll be needing it" she muttered as water took over the land as if it were bleeding from the earth itself.

Momiji hissed as his vision was compromised so quickly. He fired a burst of explosive energy followed by three poison-tipped daggers, oddly enough hearing them splash as if thrown into a lake. The mist became so thick he struggled to breathe freely, thankfully his pets did not thrive off of mortal needs such as oxygen. Even seeing the exposed roof beneath his feet was becoming difficult. Suddenly an arc of white energy game flying at them, hitting the trio off of the roof and back to the ground, finding themselves in waist-deep water. Momiji cursed as he caught his footing against the current, his minions not faring so well as they fought to keep themselves from being carried away. "What cheap trickery is this?" he cursed as he reached for his blade, looking and listening for any signs of their assailant, the sound of the water making it difficult.

"You come to my land." A feminine voice said plainly from the roof of the brothel, clearly audible even through the mist and waves. "You assault my guests and my girls." This time the voice came from his left where the mighty trees of the forest were being beaten upon by the flash flood. "You invoke the wrath of a priestess of the goddess, and your debts will be paid in blood." Momiji's eyes widened as the voice was in his ear, standing right behind him. His quick reflexes brought his blade around behind him to find nothing but mist. He turned back around to see a dark figure standing out in the mist, standing on the enchanted water, a large sword in its hand as it brought it up in a perfect arc slashing to the left then again to the right. Two white blades of energy emerged, ripping through the water as if made of steel. The weapons traveled as if they were actively controlled, flying right past Momiji and finding their home in the skulls of his pets, their bodies rising to the surface and being taken deep into the forest.

"You're not the first women or holy person I've slaughtered like a fat pig for my amusement, whore. You will not be the last!" He threw three small explosives out around him and fired himself into the treetops to his left with a burst of energy, safely above the unforgiving conjured river beneath him. Effectively blinding him in both sight and sound, she had robbed the experienced hunter of his strengths in battle, but the challenge is what made it more fun. Nearby, Shimizu stood only a few yards away from the attacker, her sword still loyal in her hand. "Let us make quick work of this fool, old friend." She tore the fabric of her top completely off, letting it drop where it pleased as she jumped into the waves below, maneuvering expertly through the water, the clouds in the sky above turning pitch black and forming into a vortex.

Shimizu knew she couldn't keep this up for long, her chakra was draining fast. If today she met her patron goddess, she would be damned if she didn't complete her final mission and buy some time for the innocent Uchiha child. She formed handsigns feeling pain in her hands and bones as more chakra was pulled from her being, two watery lords of the sea forming beside her. "Keep the toy busy, at all costs" she mentally ordered the immaterial great white sharks she had conjured. They hastily obeyed as she allowed the current to take her, swimming at breakneck speeds into the forest where she had exiled the teen and his brother. Momiji sensed the presence of the sharklady leaving, sensing her weakness. She had foolishly used up most of her chakra pool on creating these diversions to slow him down, but why? If she meant to truly kill him she would have taken a real shot by now, unless-

He grinned as he saw through her ruse. She would lead him right to the Uchiha's, where he would claim a great bounty of two heads and one child slave. Thankfully he had initiated a summoning circle deep in the woods in the general direction that his prey was heading, inside of it a powerful creature from the depths of the abyss awaiting to be released by his que. He whispered the password and formed a handsign, the ground exploding in the distance. He smiled as he formed more quick handsigns and resummoned his pets, bringing their shadowy bodies back to life beside him. Using his ability to track chakra trails he began to follow her scent, the jump from the treelimbs to the brothel roof that stood only a few feet above the rising water was a far one, but nothing impossible for the seasoned predator. He launched himself into the air, focusing on the rooftop for the landing, his demonic pets behind him, when something white beneath the surface of the water caught the corner of his eye. Suddenly the surface violently broke and a set of large jaws jumped towards him, barely missing his ankle and instead finding the leg of one of his new hellhounds. The beast was dragged down by the elemental monster, clawing and biting for its life. Momiji made the landing on the roof, looking behind him to see no sign of the monster or his pet. On the other side of the brothel a fin briefly rose above the water before sinking back below, eagerly picking up speed. Momiji held his blade at the ready as the hellhound that remained with him began to growl and pace nervously. It's ears laid flat against his head as it bore it's teeth, whisps of black shadows escaping it's steel-trap mouth. Something tall and thin broke the water and was moving quickly towards them. The demon-handler formed a handsign that lit his blade with the shadows similar to those of his minion. He began to run along the rooftop towards his water-bound attacker, meeting it head-on as the summoned shark leapt into the air, jaws wide open to engulf him as the mistress wished.

His blade met the beast and tore through it like butter, it's cry lost in the mist as it's form was broken and plain water was all that was left. Now the trail left by his prey was nearly gone, he growled as he ran to catch it before it faded away, unfortunately another finned abomination stood in his way. Sheathing his swords and drawing his twin daggers he jumped into the raging current. The conjured creature predictably bull-rushed him, only to be dodged and both blade be plunged into his underbelly as he moved with the power of a steamtrain. The second creature killed and the waterlevels still rising, Momiji caught himself on a tree as the current pulled him into the forest and climbed up into a sturdy limb, sheathing both of his daggers. The scent of the sharklady was long-gone by now, damn the bitch and her fancy illusions. But there was something else in the air, another trail of chakra, the scent was pungent but strong, and it was close, very close.

Momiji's pupils tightened as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, two dark figures in black cloaks and bamboo hats stood in the limbs above him, bells ringing as the wind as they dangled from the hats. "Damn sharks" he muttered as he reached for his blade that rested against his back, the cloaked duo jumping down to meet him, weapons drawn.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi had somehow managed to carry Sasuke on his back ahead of the rushing water deep into the forest, now his knees were soaked and he lacked the energy to carry Sasuke into the trees. Where had this flash flood come from? But that didn't matter, he needed to hope he was heading uphill to escape from the current that was pulling his feet under the dirt. The harsh rain and wind didn't help as his clothing as well as Sasuke's was soaked, further weighing them down. The ground shook violently, forcing the Uchiha to grab onto a tree just to keep standing. His eyes widened as something massive was moving ahead of him. It's legs knocked over trees like they were nothing more than children's blocks, the winds of the storm ineffective against its sturdy form. It was nothing from this world, and it was looking for something, or rather, someone.

Review please!


	9. Chapter 9

[A/N: Hope ya'll enjoy, sometimes I get too wordy when describing fight scenes. Also hope some of ya'll caught the sneak peek of this chapter though it was unannounced.]

The horrific beast stood taller than the sand monster that assaulted Kohona, a heavy plating natural armor protecting each of its six long legs and abdomen. Through the trees and rain Itachi could see it raise it's mighty head and let out a scream that shook the earth, it's lower jaw extending out into a V-shape, a river of saliva pouring between talon-like fangs. Two leathery tongues tasted the air, water from the sky pouring off of its head and back. It turned it's head around facing to the direction that Itachi and his unconscious ototo were hiding within the trees. Letting out another cry, it's long, whip-like tail came crashing through the forest, knocking over trees like toothpicks, coming right for the Uchihas. He made a shortjump to a nearby tree to use as a baseboard to launch them both over the oncoming massive tail. He easily cleared it, but immediately began to dodge giant trees falling to the ground as they were freshly knocked off of their bases. Cascades of water hit Itachi as he dodged the trees that were hitting the flashflood around him. Suddenly, his ninja skills failed him as he lost his footing on the slick bark of a freshly fallen tree, both he and his brother lost in the current.

The water carried them back, unfortunately right towards the demonic behemoth that had their scent, turning to meet them like a meal delivered on a silver platter. The elder Uchiha's body took a beating as the current slammed him against treetrunks on its way to delivering him to the Destroyer. The sides of the monster's massive skull pushed through the trees, it's mouth opening and both tongues reaching out to grab him. Itachi reached out to try and grab something, anything to hold them back from the gaping open jaws. His fingertips found the trunk of a tree, he used all of the chakra he could muster to cling with his fingertips, knowing that he risked ripping the flesh out of the tree itself but any few seconds he could spare he would. A wave came beneath him, almost knocking him off his steel tight grip on the tree, something was in the water, beneath the surface. He looked on to see something barely breaking the surface, moving quickly through the current towards the jowels of the beast.

The surface broke and none other than a frenzied Lady Shimizu leapt up, her sword drawn behind her. With one hand she brought the sword around, slapping the creature's nose with the flat side of the weapon, smashing the bones at the end of it's snout. Blood and cartilage flew for hundreds of yards away as the monster reared it's neck up, screaming in anger and pain. Lady Shimizu landed on top of the water and ran back to the tree Itachi clung to so helplessly. Snatching them up with her free hand she carried them up the side of the tree, setting them down on a high branch. Itachi coughed up water as he patted Sasuke's back to release any he had accidentally swallowed. "Find a safe place for your brother, open this when you're ready, it will save your lives." She dropped a small scroll into his lap, the wooden casing had artwork and lettering widdled into it that he didn't care to observe. Biting into her wrist, Shimizu spilled more of her own blood, the other wound having ceased to produce enough to be of use. She used her own life juice as ink to write something on the flat of the sword before jumping off of the limb, disappearing in the rain and mist. Itachi gasped for breath and leaned his head back against the tree, looking up to the sky. The world had gone mad. Why had he gone through all of this? Why hadn't he just allowed himself to die at Kohona? What would he possibly do even if he survived this madness? What was the point?

"A-aniki?" a quiet, weak voice called for him. Looking down, Sasuke's eyes were open and he looked up at him. "What's going on aniki? Where are we? Where's momma and father?" Itachi closed his eyes and pulled the child close to him. "You're safe Sasuke, I promise." Feeling a rush of adrenaline and renewed willpower, he stood up and held Sasuke close to his chest, the scroll tight in his hand as he leapt from the branch towards a nearby hilltop that hadn't fallen prey to the rising water. He would find a safe place for his brother and defeat all that stood in their way, even if he had to go straight to the underworld to do it. The goddess must have been smiling on him as atop the hill was a thick willow tree, perfect for stowing his little brother right away into. "Stay here ototo, I'll be back I promise. " He rest his forehead against Sasuke's, sharpening his mind as his thumb rubbed the wooden engraving on the scrollcase. In the distance the hellish monster roared, the sounds of a sharklady's battlecry singing along with it. Sasuke's eyes darted around in fear, but Itachi shushed and reassured him before turning to leave the safety of the tree's foliage. He stepped back out into the rain, removing his soaked shirt to lighten his load and broke the seal on the scroll, sliding it open. A shock of stored energy that had been encased within a blessing written on the scroll released through his arms, leaving burning heat within his chest as the chakra of a sharkfolk mixed with his own.

The hair on his arms and neck rose and his veins became visible through his skin, his reflexes and nerves heightened with the rush of pure energy and adrenaline. He launched himself into the air towards the arena of battle between the sharklady and the demon, dirt flying where his feet had stood from the sheer force of the launch.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Momiji experty dodged to the right then spun to the left as spikes of water tried to impale him under Kisame's command. He leapt backwards hoping to get away from the water levels only to find himself having to use a short-range teleportation jutsu to avoid being eaten by a gargantuan conjured snake. Why the hell were the Akatsuki doing here? Furthermore what had he done to provoke them into attacking him? This hunt for the Uchihas was proving to be barely worth the trouble, though he had never failed a mission and didn't intend to start now. He stood a chance of escape or minor victory if he could reach his summoned beast that was tearing through the nearby forest. Unfortunately he only made it a few branches away before a pale-skinned ninja used his own teleportation tricks to appear below him and suckerpunch him in the gut, sending him falling into the turbulent waters below, a sharkman and his sword awaiting him.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Lady Shimizu stood before the enraged monster, her sword having tasted it's black blood, one of it's tongues bent around a tree stump, carelessly being tossed in the current. She formed a single handsign infront of her as she ran towards it, the inscription of blood glowing on the metal of the sword, a single word had been written in holy kanji, and that word was 'Exorcist.' The monster, sporting a shattered snout, several profusely bleeding gashes along its body, and the remnants of its tongue hanging out of its mouth, fueled by rage made a snap at the frenzied shark warrior. To the untrained eye it would have appeared that it had succeeded, but smoke poured from it's closed jaws as the decoy jutsu ended, leaving an unsavory scroll that held a curse of eruption in it. Lady Shimizu appeared behind it's lowered head, driving her blade into the unguarded flesh of it's lower jaw. The creature jerked upwards as the scroll activated and a small explosion ignited, raining chunks of flesh, bone, and blood upon Shimizu. Her blade sliced clean through the remainder of the monster's snout, tearing the lower jaw completely off. The demon raised its head up in agony, the sharklady grabbing a hold of its remaining tongue and hitching a ride up into the air, swinging as close to its body as she could. One hand held onto the leathery tongue, the other holding her sword as the tip tore through the plated skin of the beast like paper. Using momentum she flung herself up into the air and landed on the creature's massive horned head, grasping one of the horns as she caught her breath.

The monster flung itself around in agony, it's mouth more or less destroyed as the entire lower jaw laid on the ground far below it near it's disembodied tongue. Lady Shimizu used her chakra to glue herself to the horn to avoid being thrown off at this height, noticing something moving along the monster's back coming towards her. The Uchiha. Unfortunately she wasn't the only one that had noticed. The beast, despite its agony, noticed the small figure running up its tail and spine. Bringing it's head around as dark blood flowed like a waterfall out of its skull and body, it made as if to try and knock the puny human off, but found nothing but more burning pain as Itachi sent three fireballs into its face. The monster began to ram its head into its own body in a desperate attempt to get it's attacker off of its body, unsuccessfully. Shimizu knew this needed to end fast before the creature found assistance with its handler. One hand still on the horn and another on her hilt she readied her weapon to stab into the top of the skull, hopefully killing it, but something made the hair on the back of her neck rise on end. The Uchiha was getting closer to her and something was wrong, looking down in the direction that the brothel used to be she sensed what was about to happen and released her hold on the monster's horn to run towards the Uchiha she had befriended.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Momiji had finally managed to break away from the attacking Akatsuki criminals by summoning a few of his more elite pets to at least keep them busy. The sky lit up with the fireworks that the Uchiha he pursued conjured, he couldn't believe his luck. He might be losing his most powerful pet but he had his chance to take home the corpse of the Uchiha and put this madness behind him. Drawing out a curse-laden arrow he fastened it to his bowstring and locked onto his target as it darted up the back of his great beast. Predicting his position by the time the arrow reached him he let the ammunition fly, watching eagerly to witness it pick off the teen and end his mission.

[A/N: Reviews please!]


	10. Chapter 10

[A/N: Hey ya'll, sorry that I stink at fight scenes but I do try my best =) thanks to all my faithful reviewers, ya'll are what keep me going!]

The cursed arrow sang through the sky, fixed on the target that was Itachi Uchiha. He wouldn't have ever seen it coming, Lady Shimizu on the other hand could sense the sickly spell that was cast upon the shaft. She ran to meet Itachi along the back of the mighty creature, she grabbed him by the arm and swung him around, his feet completely leaving the solid ground of the creature's spine. She released his wrist in time for him to grab a hold of the monster's backspikes, the sharklady unfortunately did not fare as well. The arrow caught her in the shoulder in mid-swing, knocking her clear off of the demon's back. Itachi watched helplessly as she fell to the ground, her body and sword hitting the water with great force. He watched for a second, activating his sharinghan in an attempt to see any sign of life from the fallen ally.

Nothing, not a trace. He closed his eyes for a moment to absorb the fact that he was facing this alone, which normally pleased this Uchiha but for some reason it didn't bring the feeling of glee quite as it used to. He would honor her spirit somehow, but to do that he would have to survive this. He needed to bring this monster down first and foremost, and while it seemed that Shimizu had done most of the work on that he needed something to finish the job. He had seen her prepare to pierce the skull of the leviathan with her greatsword but the only weapon that he possessed was the short, thin sword she had given him before exiling him and Sasuke into the forest when the attack began. How could he possibly use it to penetrate the skull and to strike the creature's brain? Judging by the size and strength of the beast the length of the shortsword would barely match the thickness of the skull alone. Well maybe there was one way, but it would take precision and enough force to make it through…

A streak of black tore the Uchiha from his thoughts. He looked up to see a masked figure looking down on him, soaking wet and breathing heavily, eyes filled with hate, rage, and a hint of ecstasy. In his hands was an elite hunting bow with an arrow readied in the shaft, pointing right between Itachi's eyes. "Your kind won't be missed Uchiha" Momiji spat as he released the arrow, striking the Uchiha squarely in the forehead, the arrow completely going through his skull and breaking out of the other side of his head. The former ANBU officer began to fall, body limp and eyes widened in surprise and horror. Momiji felt slightly aroused as he watched his victim's lifeless corpse make the descent down to the ground, his only regret being that he didn't get to torture him a little first for his troubles. All well, that's what the younger one would be for.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose as something was standing behind him, his eyes narrowed in anger when the metal of a blade touched his neck. "A substitution jutsu, I should have known." Momiji jerked his elbow back to take Itachi by surprise, but missed. The Uchiha's knee came up and nailed the hunter in the ribcage before he was swiftly kicked off of the back of the massive beast. Itachi had to make a choice between destroying the monster before it did further damage to the forest and injured an ally or following the mysterious attacker down to the ground. Running up the back of the beast he reached the head and stepped over the edge, using his chakra to keep him glued to the side of the beast. Taking the small sword Shimizu had given him he held it with both hands and thrust it into the only unarmored spot on the beast's body, it's eye. His weapon and forearms went straight through the vessel, covering it in blood and slime. The sword lit up with a light blue bright light, a high-pitched ringing sound emitted from the blade as hidden blessings along the length of the metal revealed themselves, the power firing like lightning bolts into the demon's monster screeched as the enchanted weapon pierced the brain and the very fibers of it's being were being unraveled by the priestess' blessing.

The creature began to fall over, losing all motor and nerve control as the holy power wreaked havoc with it's demonic being. Itachi made a far jump off of the head to avoid being crushed as the beast hit the ground, destroying all of the trees it landed on as a powerful wave of water sprayed into the air. Momiji's eyes stood wide open as he watched his beast fall. Between the Akatsuki, that crazy shark bitch, and the suddenly empowered Uchiha, he didn't stand much of a chance. Clutching his wounded ribs, he hobbled off away from the battle, murmuring a cloaking jutsu to protect him along the way.

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi flexed his fingers as the burst of adrenaline and chakra dissipated from his body. Retrieving Sasuke was his first priority, then perhaps see if he could find Lady Shimizu. The attacker was gone, and hopefully for good. The last thing he needed was an elite officer stalking him and his brother while they tried to get their lives back. He stepped through the thick leaves of the weeping willow and felt a small bit of warmth in his chest when he found Sasuke right where he left him. Picking the child up under his knees and back he carried him out and began the search for any signs of the sharklady. The storm ended as abruptly as it had started and the water was slowly but surely draining away.

The monster's body was slowly dissolving away as black wisps of shadows rose into the air and were taken by the breeze. There was no signs of life other than the occasional misplaced fish or floating deer carcass. Itachi jumped from tree to tree to avoid getting soaked by the water on the ground, the trees dropping leaflets of water behind him as he went. He traveled around the body of the beast's remains, knowing that she couldn't have fallen that far away. The only reason he hadn't already began to run far away from this place was because of the kindness the brothel owner had shown him and to Sasuke. The least she deserved was a confirmation of her death and possibly some sort of grave. Suddenly Itachi's instincts perked up as he sensed new chakra signatures, definitely powerful ones. He stopped jumping and began to sneak through the treetops to hopefully get a view of the newcomers, somewhat hoping they could be of help.

Unfortunately the sight he found from the protection of the trees was not one of anyone that could be of assistance. The Akatsuki, a despicable criminal organization that was a target of the ANBU. There were two of them, a blue one and a white one. What were these freaks doing here? These ninja were not to be taken lightly, and if they detected him in this state he would be at a great disadvantage if they decided to attack. He crouched down held Sasuke tight as he watched the pair. The blue one removed his cloak and set down his massive wrapped sword, his pale-skinned companion standing on the low-hanging branch with his arms folded as if annoyed to even be here. The sharkman jumped down into the water that was waist-deep to him and walked out a few yards before leaning forward and picking something up from the bottom. Itachi closed his eyes with grief when none other than Lady Shimizu's limp body broke the surface, an arrow embedded in the side of her throat. She had never released her vice-grip on the handle of her sword, even in death.

The blue-haired killer turned and carried her back to low-hanging branch that his partner was perched on. This was it, who knows what they intended to do with the corpse of such a gifted medic, but there was nothing he could do to stop them. He quietly turned and left the area, Sasuke still pressed up against his chest. He didn't know where they were going, but anywhere from here would suffice for tonight.

[A/N: Again, sorry for crappy fight scenes, they look a lot better in my head than they do written out. Please review and be sure and pop by my profile for a possible sneak peak at #11 while I'm working on it (hopefully it will be posted to the profile page soon)]

Please Review!


	11. Chapter 11

[A/N: Sorry about the late update ya'll, been busy but hope that ya'll enjoy it and review ^^ ]

Kisame carried the load of Samehada, Lady Shimizu, and her own large sword as they jumped through the trees to find a good place to camp for the night. Finally finding a patch of dry land the Akatsuki members landed and Kisame set down the load on the ground. He took a small kunai and sliced the skin around the arrow that was embedded in her neck, pulling it out. He snapped the ammunition in two and set it aside to check for any real signs of life. He felt a faint heartbeat from her chest, though her breathing was shallow. He took his index finger and slid it inside of the gills on her cheeks, clearing out bits of algae and junk, finally getting movement from the sharklady as she snorted through her nose and turned her head, opening her eyes. She immediately rolled over on her chest and began to cough up water from her nose and throat, the liquid splashing out through all the facial openings. "What did I miss?" she groggily asked as she rested her forehead on one of her wrists, the other touching the throbbing wound on her neck.

"The arrow had a sealing curse attached to it, it kept you unconscious as long as it was in you." Kisame answered as he patted her bare back, removing his Akatsuki cloak to offer it to the soaked woman as protection from the cold as she continued to cough up water. "For once my bloodline has proved useful. Did the kid and his brother make it out?" She took the cloak around her shoulders, pushing herself up to sit on her knees. "We weren't aware of anyone else involved, though we failed to finish off that sand nin that was pestering you. But onto more important things, what will you do now that the brothel is no more?" He asked as he sat beside her, Orochimaru begrudgingly building a fire in the small clearing for the night. "The girls can find refuge in the beds of Kirigakure and other small local towns. Unfortunately the bounty on my head would prevent a similar fate for me. I suppose this means that our little protection arrangement is no longer valid, though do send my apologies to Pein for the inconvenience." She held the handle of her sword in her hand, her thumb massaging the hilt as it seemed to be her only friend in the world that had stuck by her side through thick and thin.

"I'm sorry to say that it isn't that simple. Pein has requested that you meet with him in Amegakure, it was the only reason we turned back to retrieve you, whether by free will or force."

X.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Itachi continued to run far after his lungs burned and his legs ached. The thick mist might have made it a touch harder to navigate through the forest but it made up for it by concealing the brothers as they made their escape from the chaos. Finally the elder Uchiha found an area that was quiet and held no trace of human life. He spotted a thick, sturdy tree and landed within it, setting Sasuke down safely amongst the tall branches. He lightly tapped his ototo's cheek, trying to stir him from his sleep. Innocent, black orbs revealed themselves through tired eyelids and looked up at the former ANBU officer. "N-niisama?" Sasuke muttered, groaning and rubbing his eyes with his small closed fists.

"Sasuke, you had me so very worried. How are you feeling ototo?" he brushed some sweaty, clumped up hair out of the child's face, his thumbs rubbing the slightly chubby cheek to swipe some dirt away as well. "Aniki, I'm hungry" he whined as he looked up to his otosan, just now beginning to look around and realize that they weren't at home, that this wasn't all just a weird nightmare. "I know little brother, I know. I promise I'll find you something okay? But how about anything else? Do you feel sick or anything unusual?" Itachi asked as he held his little brother's face in his hands while his eyes manipulated his brother's eyelids to look at his eyes for signs of illness. Becoming irritated as he was being probed while he was still sleepy Sasuke tried to swat his brother's hands away from his face, letting out a small yawn.

"Let me look Sasuke, cooperate with me and I'll try and find you something to eat" he begged as he grabbed Sasuke's hands with his larger left hand and continued to inspect his vitals with his right. Satisfied that the younger Uchiha was seemingly healthy, for now, Itachi plucked him up from his spot on the tree and put him on his back, ordering him to hold on while he began jumping through the treetops in search of food on the valley floor.

The goddess of luck smiled upon the brothers as Itachi found, killed, and successfully roasted a wild boar, supplying the two with a hearty feast. The elder Uchiha sat on the forest floor with Sasuke sitting between his legs, leaning back against him as his small mouth took massive bites out of a roasted boar leg as his older brother kept watch. Finally after his appetite was satiated Sasuke leaned his head back to look up at his brother and asked the question that Itachi had been secretly dreading. "Nii-sama, where's momma and father?"

Itachi remained silent for a moment, unsure of how to word this as to not upset his little brother. His larger hands enclosed Sasuke's and held him a little tighter as his tongue became numb at the thought of revealing their fate. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but it's just you and me now. Mother and father are no longer able to help you grow up, but I promise ototo, I'll do my best to see that their work with you is finished." The large black orbs that were the boy's eyes looked up at him questioningly before looking back down at their hands, his young mind trying to process the information. "Okay aniki, I promise to do good too." A huge weight lifted off of Itachi's shoulders as Sasuke hadn't gone into hysterics, maybe in a few years he would realize what the true meaning of his words were. The little Uchiha turned over onto his side in his brother's lap and nestled his head against the fabric of Itachi's shorts.

The fire reflected in his eyes, softly crackling and licking the wind as the wood slowly turned to white ash and the full moon shone in the ebony sky above the mist.

X.x.x..x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.X

Kisame and Orochimaru steadily walked through the beaten paths through the thick of the forest, between them was Lady Shimizu with her arms bound behind her in shackles that connected to chains behind held by each of the robed men and her sword resting on Kisame's shoulder. A clean piece of linen was wrapped around her neck along with some herbs to treat the arrow wound, but the Akatsuki stayed true to their reputation of being impatient and cruel and made her walk bare through the forest behind them. "I vote that the next town we come across we find some clothes, a fresh linen for my wounds, and some decent ale for the trip ahead" the sharklady stated rather cheerfully, despite her current condition. "You're a captive, you don't get a vote you oversized fishstick." Orochimaru sneered without missing a beat. "And besides, I can't say that we don't like the view." Kisame joked as he tugged one of the chains holding her in bondage, jerking her forward.

It was only a few hours of walking before darkness fell upon the land and a small trading village came into their sights. Soon the stench of livestock and booze became evident as they entered, looking for the shadiest inn to find shelter for the night and some reagents for their captive as Pein wouldn't appreciate damaged goods. High above any of the buildings standing tall in the center of the village was a tower covered in holy carvings and the symbol of the goddess perched atop the stone structure. Lady Shimizu hung her head as realized that this was a town protected by the disciples of the goddess and that if she was spotted by anyone that recognized her, she could be punished severely for the lifestyle she had lived since abandoning the order years ago.

The trio received many stares and whispers as villagers and traders enjoying the nightlife stopped to look at the odd group. They made their way through the bazaar and finally into the courtyard where the inns were located as well as temple. Before they even made it halfway across the cobblestones, a group of seven women came out of the temple and walked down the front steps towards them. They wore red, black, or white robes that had the markings of the goddess on the arms, edges, and back. Orochimaru and Kisame stopped as the group approached. The leader wore a headdress that marked her as the head priestess of this chapter, she held folded white cloth over her arm and had eyes that couldn't be unnerved. Undaunted by the armed men the priestess walked right between them and straight up to Shimizu who was unable to look her former teacher in the face. "My daughter, it is unfortunate that we have been reunited under these circumstances and in this company." Her pale fingers touched Shimizu's large arms and the metal shackles fell right off as if not even fastened in the first place. Orochimaru raised his hand to attack but his companion was quick to signal him to stop, dropping the chain to the ground.

The head priestess muttered a few lines in an ancient tongue as she removed the white cloth from her arm and unfolded it, revealing it to be a robe worn by the higher ranking healers of the order. She wrapped it around Shimizu's shoulders, pulling the lofty hood over her head and touching her fingers to her gilled cheek. "You never strayed my daughter, the goddess has plans for you. You must complete your task at all costs, but please do be safe, for me" she whispered into her ear quietly as she fingertips brushed across the wound of her neck, restoring it completely. The high priestess backed away from her former star pupil and walked back to the group of disciples that hadn't moved an inch from the path of the Akatsuki crones. "You'll find shelter here for the night, but we ask that you leave by dawn tomorrow morning,." She addressed the two men before she and her group turned and left, the whispers of the village people stirring back up as soon as she was out of earshot.

"What the hell was that all about?" Orochimaru barked as he held the loose chains, eyes on the sharklady who seemed to be in a state of shock as her hand touched her freshly healed neck. "Some old friends. I suggest we accept their generous offer, we should be well rested for the trip to your headquarters." Lady Shimizu commented as she looked at the two, not showing any resistance to their plans for her. She looked up at the full moon through the thick mist, wondering what was this 'task' the goddess had for her.


End file.
